QuiGon Jinn's Excellent Adventure
by ardavenport
Summary: Qui-Gon Jinn falls into an unusual adventure. Obi-Wan and other Jedi come in near the end.
1. Chapter 1

**QUI-GON JINN'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE**

by ardavenport

**- - Part 1**

CRAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Crikitaticacrikitaticacrikitatica-crik-it-a-tic-a-crik-it-a-tic-a-crik-it-a-tic-a Crik it a tic a Crik it a tic a crik . . .itc. . .a. . .ti. . .a. . . crik . . .it. . .a. . .tic. . .a. . . crik . . .it. . .a. . .tic. . .a. . . . . .crik. . . . . .it. . . . . .a. . . . .

Tic.

A droid head snapped upward to see a body, illuminated from the sunlight above, descending, gaining speed, plunging to the floor.

And then inexplicably slowing down before impact.

Thud.

Other droids, tethered to the walls, clicked on and looked toward the body, unmoving on the floor, amidst the rubble of transparasteel and broken struts.

A line of sentry droids twitched with suppressed action, overridden by their active maintenance programs. Floor cleaners clicked and bleeped, but remained tethered to their recharge sockets. Bulky blue load lifters grumbled in place; one with broken left arm gears made a faint grinding noise. Square eye sensors on metal stalks swivelled to look, even the ones dark and dysfunctional. Plastiform bodies jostled each other in a big wire enclosure on one side of the huge room before settling down.

The body remained motionless.

One sentry droid vocalizer hummed with a modulated voice sound before falling silent. Activity lights blinked back to standby or went out.

An arm moved, the dark brown fabric on it dragging broken wreckage and transparisteel dust with it. Haltingly, the arm rose up, flipping the body over on its side. Plastisteel bits and shards fell clinking down to the floor as legs moved and arms pushed the body upright. And then stood. A few stagging steps dislodged more bits as a tall dark brown robe moved out of the direct light, into the shadows.

A door slid open. A long, distorted rectangle of pale yellow, light spread over the floor. Then a shadow darkened that. The room's own artificial lights came on.

"Whoa!"

Qui-Gon Jinn whirled, his hand going to the lightsaber clipped to his belt. But instinct froze the action and he did not draw the weapon.

The newcomer came in. Droids all along the walls of what was clearly a maintenance bay activated, their attention drawn to a male Human, as tall as Qui-Gon, with similar long brown hair hanging down all around his young but lined face and a fuzzy ball of a beard on his chin. He wore a loose gray shirt and baggy pants on his slender body.

"Whoa!" he repeated before noticing Qui-Gon. "Who are you, dude?"

"I was sent," Qui-Gon said, straightening his robe. More fragments fell away from the rough cloth. "To look at the window." He pointed upward.

"Whoa!" the younger Human said, craning his neck upward, apparently noticing the broken skylight for the first time. "Whoa. That's serious."

A rumble from the roof through the hole above. A huge armored droid transport darkened the blue sky. Voices on a com came closer. Qui-Gon stepped back, away from the skylight, while the Human moved to stand directly under it. A helmeted head appeared and called down.

"Togi! We're under attack!"

"Yeah, man! I saw all the alerts!" Togi shouted back.

"We've got a perimeter penetration! We think a Jedi got through! Have you seen anything?"

"Uh?" Togi put a hand to his beard before turning to Qui-Gon. "Hey man, have you seen any Jedi around here?"

"No," Qui-Gon lied, shaking his head. "I have not."

Togi looked back up.

"Haven't seen anything here!"

"Good! You've got sentry droids down there, right?"

"Yeah! I got lots!"

"Good! Keep your perimeter secure!"

"Okay!"

Togi stared, slack-jawed, upward.

"You want me to fix the sentry droids first?" he asked. But the soldier had gone. The armored transports moved on.

Togi still waited another moment before giving up and looking around, his feet sliding through the wreckage of the skylight. He put a hand to his head.

"You want me to get this cleaned up before you fix the window? I guess if they're all on alert they'll want that done first."

"That would be most helpful," Qui-Gon agreed, nodding and folding his arms before him, his dark robe concealing his Jedi tunics, belt and lightsaber. But he sensed that Togi would not really notice their significance even if they were visible.

"Okay." Togi went to a large yellow box on legs with several flexible silvered arms. "Ekto-53 was just here for a lube on his joints and a recharge." He activated the machine, pointed at the mess on the floor and told it to clean it up.

'Glump, glump,' the droid responded electronically before ponderously moving forward, arms flexing.

"You want to hang with me in the node control room?" Togi invited. "Ekto's good, but slow."

"Thank-you. I would."

**- - End Part 1**


	2. Chapter 2

**QUI-GON JINN'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE**

by ardavenport

**- - Part 2**

Qui-Gon followed Togi out of the maintenance bay. The younger man strolled ahead, swinging his arms as he led Qui-Gon down a bare, gray duracreet corridor, the white lighting panels in the ceiling not very far above their heads. Togi turned left, then right and then stopped at a bright orange door with yellow and black security warnings striping its middle. Togi paused at an ID scanner while Qui-Gon stayed back. Then he stood in the doorway, blocking it, allowing Qui-Gon to pass through.

Towers of glowing blue-green data stacks rose high up to the ceiling on either side, forming a corridor. Togi led Qui-Gon to a turn to the left and then stepped down into a room surrounded by image screens, com panels, terminals, inputs, computers, network monitors, status screens, outputs, power monitors and controls, and environment controls. Perimeter alerts flashed red on one panel, indicating the place where Qui-Gon had gotten under the outer shields. The computers and power systems before them hummed with information.

Qui-Gon looked all around the room. He casually pushed his robe back and placed a hand on his lightsaber. He began mentally calculating which thing would be more advantageous to destroy first.

"Great, isn't it," Togi said, completely misreading Qui-Gon's interest. He flopped into a cushioned green seat at a central terminal. "I've got everything wired through here. Kakard's whole operation. Air, power, coms, data pass-thrus, sensors, satellites. Course I don't have any of the battle or defense stuff. Kakard doesn't let anybody else run that. But he can't do anything without power from me." Togi proudly patted his chest.

"I see. Very impressive." Qui-Gon spotted a row of wall panels with several thick cables connecting adjoining input and output sockets., along with monitors and a big map showing the power conduit activity to all the buildings, bunkers and underground installations of Kakard's compound.

"But don't worry!" Togi held up a warning hand. "I've got this whole node mirrored on the other side of the compound. As soon as anything, _[i]ANYTHING[/i]_ goes wrong here, the secondary site kicks in. Course, there's only droids running it, but that's enough to keep it running until I can get this place locked down. You wouldn't even see the lights blink."

"Aaah, I see. Very sensible." Qui-Gon took his hand off his lightsaber. He then raised it to the man sitting before him. "But things would run much better if we shut down the power from here. Without activating any of the security alarms."

Togi's eyes lost what focus they had. For a moment.

"Hmmmm, I dunno, man. Kakard's pretty uptight about things. He gets [i]_realy mad_[/i] if things aren't running the way he likes. Whoa, that dude's scary.

"But he's a [i]_great_[/i] guy to work for!" Togi added hastily, hands up in affirmation. "He treats us all right, cause he's got a sweat deal goin' on here. He's like the boss-big-man of this whole sector. No trade goes on around this patch of space without him getting his cut first. And if anyone gets out of line, he just blasts down outta hyperspace and rapes and pillages what he wants. They start paying after that." Togi laughed.

Qui-Gon frowned. Togi's praise of the ruthless warlord was shallow, devoid of any experience or real comprehension of what raping and pillages really meant. And it had nothing whatsoever to do with what the Jedi was trying to get the man to do.

Feeling the Force in himself, connecting to everything around, his thoughts intent on what needed to be done, Qui-Gon passing his hand before Togi again.

"I'm sure Kakard wouldn't mind if you shut the power down. In fact, I'm sure he would be pleased if you took the initiative."

"Oh man, you don't know him," Togi denied emphatically, oblivious to the fact that Qui-Gon was telling him he should shut down the power to the warlord's entire compound. "He's like supernova uptight about having everything his way. Like everyone has to call him 'General' or 'General Kakard' or he gets really angry with them. And he's just hyper about how I program the droids. Like he always wants all the latest updates and patches. He's super paranoid about someone slicing the control admin codes and making them shoot at him or something. And he's really, really weird about his office. . . ."

Togi rattled on about his Warlord's various habits and obsessions (with occasional segues into how awesome it was to work for him), leaving the Jedi confounded. Qui-Gon sensed no significant strength of will or focus from the man. In fact his thoughts were quite diffuse. As diffuse as an intangible holo-image. It seemed that the same lack of awareness that caused Togi to not recognize Qui-Gon as an intruder made him transparent to Jedi mind influencing.

"Hey, you want something to eat while you wait for the droid?" Togi suddenly changed subjects. "I got some great snacks."

Flipping his curtain of hair over his shoulder, Togi popped up out of his chair and slouched over to an alcove tucked in between the masses of technology. Qui-Gon followed, looking over Togi's shoulder as he bent down to open a compartment.

Qui-Gon sniffed. He had noticed a faint aroma of burnt plant matter along with the plastic and ozone scent of too many computers crammed too close together. The organic smell intensified, coming out of the storage space from which Togi took out jugs and boxes and brightly colored sealed bags. Qui-Gon could not identify the plant, but his eyes widened when he detected a faint trance of the local spice with it.

"I got dac juice and kerberus berries and dried vepein and some ras," Togi held up the various munchable items for Qui-Gon's approval as he spoke.

"I smell something else in there," Qui-Gon commented, peering into the dark compartment.

Togi grinned.

"Oh, I got some great wap, man. Super-charged. Kakard only gets the best." He put back the food and drink and reached deep into the compartment to bring out a box with a keypad lock. He rapidly tapped in the code and the box top flipped open. Inside Qui-Gon saw small packets of dried purple leaves on which lay a short black pipe with bowl and ignition cup on one end, inhaler on the other and a bulging filter bulb in the middle. Togi breathed deeply and sighed.

"It's great, but I gotta keep out of my stash while the alert's going on. But as soon as those red flashers go down, I'm going to take my own little private vacation. Won't even have to leave my chair." Togi patted the pipe like an old friend. Then he started, looking at Qui-Gon as if he had just appeared before him.

"But hey, take a hit if you want. Gonna be a bit of a wait with Ekto cleaning up. Plenty of time for a quick one." He held up his precious pipe. "I'm not stingy with my stuff, man. I share." Togi put his hand to his chest in testimony that he was a generous host and did not hoard his stash.

The very last thing that Qui-Gon wanted was a 'quick one'. But Togi's vice was an obvious means to influence him to shut down the power without alerting the rest of the compound. At least until it was too late.

A wire-line strategy map of Kakard's moon glowed on a wide screen on the wall to the right of Togi's central terminal. White and yellow triangles indicated the massing Republic and Yumis ships in orbit, waiting for an opening. Qui-Gon had some time to achieve his goal of weakening Kakard's defenses, but the longer he took the greater the chances that the Yumis (Kakard's former allies) might back out of their agreement to rid the nearby systems of the pirates who had been plaguing their trade routes for years. There was even a slight chance that the Yumis might switch sides, if Qui-Gon took too long and defeating Kakard would turn into a costly and difficult battle.

"I would be honored by your generosity."

Togi looked confused and Qui-Gon sensed that his answer was not direct enough.

"Yes, thank-you."

"Great!"

With the ease of long practice, Togi popped open a drug packet, stuffed the contents into the pipe bowl without dropping a single dried leaf fragment and sealed it. He checked the filter indicator, which was green and ready, primed the igniter and then lit it. Togi squeezed the mouth of the inhaler a few times and a fresh burnt plant and spice smell rose from it. Qui-Gon eyed Togi's dirty fingernails.

"Here," Togi handed it up. Qui-Gon accepted, immediately covering the mouth piece of the inhaler with his thumb as soon as Togi turned to close the box and slide it to the back of his storage compartment.

A rapid flat-toned alarm sounded.

**- - End Part 2**


	3. Chapter 3

**QUI-GON JINN'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE**

by ardavenport

**- - Part 3**

"Oh!"

Togi went to his terminal, sat down and swivelled his chair around, his arms spread wide, fingers ready for the controls.

"Whoa! They're moving in some heavy-lift fire power up there."

Three new white triangles appeared, Republic cruisers joining the other ships. Kakard's ships remained concealed in hidden mountain hangars, waiting for the enemy to attack first and reveal vulnerabilities. A massive shield bubble, powered by seven huge plasma generators buried deep underground, protected the compound and most of the steep valley it occupied from any orbital bombardment. The battle waited to begin, each side alert for an advantage.

Togi's hands flew over the controls. Qui-Gon went to the right of the man's chair and - - first removing one sleeve and then the other while still holding the pipe - - he let his robe drop to the floor, sat down on it and crossed his legs.

"Yeah, everybody has to get on the coms to talk for these things," Togi said while effortlessly manipulating the action on his screens. A tangle of yellow lines unscrambled and straightened. A pileup of pink dots drained into a pair of blue lines and marched off screen.

"They're all tying up the links, using a lot memory." Lights flashed from orange to green. It seemed that Togi himself was the node in the control room. Granting permissions, delegating lesser tasks to the computers and other operators, checking readouts and data flows.

"They are worried about he alert. The perimeter has been breached. If there is an attack, they may lose contact," Qui-Gon commented.

"No way! All our lines are triple hardened through solid rock. [i]And[/i] asymmetrically encrypted. RSA-Diffle, AES-SSH. We got it all. If that Jedi got in here to break into our coms, he just better like eating hash." Togi grinned and his fingers danced faster.

The transformation was stunning. The slack-brained man had become a techno-wizard with machine-like focus. This was where Togi's put all his intellect, which appeared to be considerable after all. Qui-Gon casually transferred the pipe to his left hand and held it positioned below the chair's armrest allowing the aroma to drift up to Togi. Qui-Gon kept his own breathing shallow and cautious. Spices were tricky; their poisons could not be so easily eliminated through an increase in metabolism or change of blood flow, especially if the source of it was still active.

Togi pointed at a dark blue screen with moving red dots, indicating the search pattern of the compound's security forces, still looking for an intruder.

"Whoa, they're using like everyone they got looking for that Jedi. Must be some kind of hyper-line bad bogie to get in through the shields. I mean, I don't know much about Jedi. I only know about what I got in civics class, and y'know, if it didn't have anything to do with droids or computers it pretty much blew over my head," Togi said with some pride, which mystified Qui-Gon.

"These Jedi are like, supposed to be the Republic's top guys. Like they can fly and they're really fast and they're supposed to have really big heads, and they have these laser beams that come shooting out of their eyes into your brain, man. Just like a datalink. Just like that." Togi tapped a control with extra emphasis.

Qui-Gon said nothing. Togi's knowledge of Jedi seemed to be a vague and scrambled collection of some of the worst misconceptions that circulated about Jedi. Though sadly, Qui-Gon had heard worse.

Most of the screens had gone green after the burst of activity initiated by the arrival of new attack ships. Togi suddenly turned and looked down at his guest.

"Hey, how's the wap, man? Smells really good," he asked with some longing in his voice.

"Oh, quite excellent," Qui-Gon answered, hastily holding up the pipe.

Togi sighed and turned back to his screens. "Whoa, it's going to be good when I get mine." He tapped one control, then another, but the demand for his services seemed to have ebbed.

Qui-Gon made noisy inhaling sounds as soon as Togi's back was turned while still holding the pipe from him and close to the other man's chair.

"You know," Qui-Gon said casually. "Since you prepared this for me, I don't think that it would count if you had some."

Togi's head snapped back to him, his eyes gazing down, full of wonder.

"Whoa. You're right. It wouldn't count if I had some that I gave to you."

Qui-Gon handed the pipe up to Togi, who handled it with great care before sitting back and taking a very long drag. His satisfied exhale tripled the smoke density in the air which sank down around Qui-Gon, still breathing as shallowly as possible.

With some regret, Togi held the pipe back down to Qui-Gon. "Here," he offered. Qui-Gon held his hands up, leaning away.

"Oh please, be my guest. I don't wish to be selfish."

Togi smirked.

"Yeah, I could have another." He took another long drag. This time he did not offer it back, but rested it against his chest, staring up at the ceiling.

"Do you think that the outer shields might be interfering with your security forces trying to find the Jedi?"

Togi's contented expression clouded with thought for a moment before he shook it off.

"Nyaah. They train with those things all the time. They know how to handle it." Something bleeped and Togi lurched forward. Putting the pipe down on a flat space by his terminal, he resumed his work. To Qui-Gon's dismay, he seemed hardly impaired at all. Togi clicked through lists of com protocols and adjusted power transfers with ease.

"You are very efficient at your work," he commented.

"Yeeeeaaaah. Kakard likes having a sentient in the loop. You could do all this with a droid. But a really good code cracker could slice into the network and take it over. Well, not [i]_my_[/i] network, but you still can't be too careful. You still need people like me to keep it all secure." Togi effortlessly continued to confirm queries and shift data blocks and quite a few other things that Qui-Gon did not understand. But the Jedi kept his eyes on his goal, the power systems.

Qui-Gon lifted a hand. Its invisible energy projecting out from him, the Force activated a switch under Togi's elbow. Nothing seemed to happen; Togi's work continued unimpaired. Qui-Gon turned his hand, the Force connecting to another control, shifting it to a different setting. A new light flashed, beeping for attention.

"Whoa," Togi moved quickly to contain the new problem. "How did that get loose?" he wondered to himself. The pipe smoldered, unnoticed by the terminal.

Having identified the power regulators for the plasma reactors, Qui-Gon concentrated on creating small fluctuations, hoping that the disruption would affect the shields. Switches flipped on when they should have been off. Relays opened and closed. But Togi was simply too good at suppressing the changes, and Qui-Gon did not know enough about power systems to do more without risking activating the backups.

Glancing at the moon's strategy map, Qui-Gon saw that nothing had changed in orbit, but he felt time slipping away.

Togi sat back, taking a break, pushing his long curtain of hair back away from his face, his gray shirt and pants sagged down over his long, skinny body.

"Whoa, that's really weird. Something's gotten into these things. I better do a systems check." Togi blanked several screens and initiated several diagnostics.

"Perhaps it is the Jedi?" Qui-Gon suggested.

"Oooooh, no way, man. _[i]Nobody[/i]_ could get into this control system. It is totally locked down. Right here." Togi pointed at his gray-shirted chest.

Qui-Gon nodded with sympathy and then extended his hand upward.

"If I might?" he asked politely.

Togi looked confused for a moment before he remembered his pipe.

"Oh yeah." He picked it up to hand it down to his guest. But he took a long pull from it first and shook his head, the effect shivering down his body. Then he took another. Then he gave it to Qui-Gon, who held it in his hand, thumb over the mouthpiece again, close to Togi's chair. Qui-Gon felt as if the pungent smoke had permeated into his clothes; he doubted he could smell anything else at the moment.

The two long-haired Humans stared at the lines of diagnostic text and flashing colored shapes whizzing by on the screen. Togi settled back with appreciation for a quality buzz. Qui-Gon sat alert and disconcerted that despite getting inside all of the warlord's inner defenses he was still surprisingly ineffective. The Jedi's eyes settled on one coms panel, the ready indicators to the compound's backup control node, glowing green.

Eyes widening, Qui-Gon realized that he had not gotten far enough behind enemy lines. He raised a hand, fingers and the Force twitching.

**- - End Part 3**


	4. Chapter 4

**QUI-GON JINN'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE**

by ardavenport

**- - Part 4**

A bleeping alarm alerted Togi out of his diagnostics-induced stupor. The green indicators for the coms to the backup site had all gone yellow.

"Whoa. That's [i]_bad_[/i]."

As soon as his attention went to the backup node coms Qui-Gon used the Force to pause all the diagnostics, the screens at the main terminal freezing up in mid-process.

Watching from behind, Qui-Gon reset every control Togi touched as soon as he went on to something else. Togi devoted his whole attention to restoring the coms to the backup site, but everything he did made it worse since Qui-Gon was changing all the settings he thought were fixed. The problems rapidly multiplied. Qui-Gon put Togi's pipe back by the main terminal.

"Oh, whoa!"

Togi pushed his chair back and stared upward. Most of the indicators were red, the screens full of bluish static.

"Is it supposed to look like that?" Qui-Gon asked innocently.

"No man. This is really bad. We don't have any coms to the backup node control and they're stuck in diagnostics. They'll never see if anything happens here. This has like, never happened before. I don't know how I'm going to fix it. Kakard's gonna to be _[i]really mad[/i]._"

"Aaaah," Qui-Gon nodded to himself, well satisfied with the result. Now all he had to do was disable the power systems so the Republic and Yumis ships could engage the warlord's forces with an advantage. He turned toward the cabled panels. They jounced up and down in his vision. He lifted his hand, reaching for the Force to pull out one of the cables.

Qui-Gon wondered why he was still nodding his head.

He stopped.

And realized he no longer had any peripheral vision, just a mauve fog on either side of him.

Concentrating, his hand pushed outward.

Nothing happened.

Qui-Gon sagged. Once he realized that he was being affected by the wap, that had broken the reality of his focus. The Force swirled around him now in a confusing purple mix of increasing hallucination and malaise. Present, disturbed and untouchable. He could do nothing for it. Or with it.

This had been a risk he had accepted, he acknowledged to himself. He lurched to his feet and waited for the room to settle around him.

"Oh, no!" Togi exclaimed, finally realizing that his original diagnostic routines were paused. He pushed his chair back to the central terminal, hastily touching controls, while Qui-Gon staggered across the room to his goal.

Sometimes the simplest methods were the quickest, Qui-Gon decided, tugging his lightsaber from his belt.

Bbbbbzzzzzztttt-aaaackkkkkk-kkkiiii-ZZZZZZZZZZTTTT-kiiiitttttt-ttttzzzzz-aaaakkkkkkk-iiiiitt!!!

The bright green plasma blade cut a diagonal slash across metaloid and cables with ease. Power control conduits sizzled and popped. Qui-Gon withdrew and plunged it in again, making an 'X', partially melted metaloid sagging at the edges. Then he made a circle right in the middle of the map of the compound. Just to be sure.

Qui-Gon extinguished his lightsaber and stepped back to look at his work.

And kept going.

Back and - - -

- - - back and - - -

- - - down.

Until he rolled into a barely controlled backward fall that did not stop until he was flat on the floor. At least Qui-Gon thought he was flat. The surface under him felt strangely and pleasantly mobile, like being on a water craft without stabilizers.

Blinking, Qui-Gon lifted his head. All the indicator lights on and around the damaged panels had gone dark.

"Whoa, man. What is that thing?" Togi asked from his seat at the terminal, more screens anxiously turning red and flashing blue and white behind him.

"This?" Qui-Gon asked, holding up his lightsaber hilt. "I use it to fix the windows," he said.

Qui-Gon dropped his head; it thudded on the floor, but he thought it sounded worse than it felt.

"Oh. Wow. . . . . . that must work great."

An alarm blared inside the control node room and outside in the corridor. It echoed, whooshing up and down, in the purple fog. Togi swivelled back to the main terminal.

"Ooooh, man. The shields are down," he moaned.

"Is that bad?" Qui-Gon wondered, staring up at the ceiling. It was a grid pattern of tiles and he started counting them but soon lost his place because some of them were randomly flashing bright magenta and heliotrope.

"Yeah, they're coming down here. Kakard is gonna be [i]supernova[/i] mad about this." Togi sagged in his chair.

Qui-Gon considered this. That did sound bad. Togi forlornly exhaled a plume of sparkly purple.

"Can you lock the door?" Qui-Gon asked.

The younger man perked up.

"Oh. . . .yeah!" He flipped his hair over his shoulder and dove back to his terminal. The new sound of running feet outside was cut off by the ponderous sound of heavy doors coming down and closing with a low clanging that was almost musical.

"Those are vacuum grade blast doors," Togi bragged. "Twenty nats thick. They're not getting through any time soon. We'll be good. As long as the air lasts."

"Is the air working?" Qui-Gon stared up through a purple haze and thought that suffocation was a distinct possibility. The ceiling squares had stopped flashing, but now they were stretching outward. Runny, glowing purple leaked down vertical cracks in the walls with a disquieting sizzling sound, like lava.

Drip-fizz.

Drip-fizz.

Drip-fizz.

"Oh. Wait. I'll check. . . . . . . . . . .yeah, it's all good. You can see the smoke; it's moving at the vents. Hey!" Togi spotted the pipe next to his terminal, snatched it up, inhaled deeply and huffed out a cloud of intoxicant.

The purple dripping down from the ceiling had spread out on the floor and make a gurgling oily slick under Qui-Gon. He wondered if he would slip on it if he tried to get up, especially since the floor was still moving.

Fizz-blub.

Fizz-blub.

Fizz-blub.

A low rumble went through Qui-Gon, shaking the whole room and making the purple-slicked floor wiggle and streak with bright red and iridescent yellow-orange. An instant later they heard a booming rumble outside.

"Whoa, what's that?" Togi wondered.

Qui-Gon turned his head, but he could not read any of the screens on the walls sideways. And seeing Togi sideways was quite disturbing. But he thought he could see a swarm of yellow and white triangles within an orange outline where they had not been before.

"I think the ships might be landing."

"Oooooh." Togi inhaled deeply from his pipe. "Kakard's gonna to be _[i]really mad[/i]_ about that."

Qui-Gon agreed, but it was a distant reality that he did not care about. He said nothing. He did not want to offend Togi.

Rumble.

Rumble.

Rumble.

Blub. Blub. Blub.

More explosions rocked their refuge. Some felt very close. Togi continued puffing on his pipe. He randomly alternated between moans about how supernova mad Kakard would be with raves about what a great boss he was, while Qui-Gon floated in a spreading purple sea, his body warm and fluid with life.

The Force floated as well, but disconnected from Qui-Gon; it twitched and darted, out of reach, aloof amidst the aimless mauve haze.

It was disheartening. There was a disturbance in the Force and Qui-Gon was sure it was him, like a bad odor in the room, or a spreading stain on a pristine purple sea. But being the disturbance itself, Qui-Gon was incapable of doing anything about it. He was polluted, outside and in. Intoxicants were almost always depressing for Jedi, he reflected. No matter how fantastic the visions or strong the ecstasy of a drug, it could not compare to the Force.

At one point Togi got up, went to his stash and refilled his pipe. He offered some to Qui-Gon, the smoldering pipe looking preposterously huge, held down by the man bending over him, the ceiling above him pinging with magenta stars. Qui-Gon shook his head, saying that he'd had quite enough. Fortunately, Togi accepted this immediately and went back to his chair, puffing contentedly.

Qui-Gon watched the younger man's stamina with some envy. He, himself, had not directly inhaled anything from the pipe, yet he was incapacitated. But Togi could function in whatever fashion seemed usual for him. If he was a habitual user of this dried plant and spice mix then he likely had considerable tolerance for it. Jedi discipline, Qui-Gon reflected, had its limits.

The lights went out and dark orange emergency lights came up. Beams of black shadows shot over the room, wiping everything out. Qui-Gon immediately felt as if the ceiling was descending on him, the walls curving inward. He sank deeper into the purple sea that lapped over his nose and mouth, but he stayed separate from the primal terror that Togi's drug now pierced him with. He exhaled slowly, making it last a very long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, looooooooooooooong time. So long, that the fear got bored and left.

Even with its limitations, Jedi discipline still had its uses.

Qui-Gon stayed where he was, concerned because he couldn't remember what he was concerned about. The purple sea evaporated under him, dried up in the oppressive blackness. To his left, Togi remained in his chair, surrounded by his red and blue whimpering computers and com lines. They were all forlorn and despondent, with little white and yellow triangles nibbling around their edges. The fluffy cloud of happy purple smoke tried to comfort Togi, but Qui-Gon did not think it was working.

The lights came back on. Qui-Gon's eyes snapped wide open before he squinted from the glare pouring down on him.

Something squealed and groaned. It was a chorus of metaloid, twisting and crying. It went on for much too long, but finally ended with a clanging thud.

Qui-Gon immediately knew that other people had entered, breached Togi's high walls of technology. And he knew without any doubt at all who was coming.

The bright blue beam of a lightsaber entered. It came attached to the hand of a tall figure in multiple shades of brown.

"Whoa!" Togi exclaimed. "Did you come to fix the window, too?"

"I am Jedi Master Ki-Adi Mundi - - -"

"Whao!" Togi leaped up into his chair, arms up to protect his head. Mundi froze, apparently speechless, until Togi lowered his arms and asked, "Hey, how come this guy's got a window thing like yours?"

"It's not like mine. Mine is green. It's completely different," Qui-Gon answered from the floor, waving his saber hilt and realizing that he had been clutching it tightly for some time. His hand was sore and cramped.

"Ooooh," Togi said without any indication of really understanding.

"Master Qui-Gon!"

As Qui-Gon feared he would, Ki-Adi Mundi, the Cerean Jedi Master and Council member who was leading the assault on the warlord's fortress, bent over him. Qui-Gon had to shut his eyes as he saw that hairless, cliff-like head, hairy white eyebrows and bushy chin-beard descending on him.

"Master Qui-Gon?" Hands touched him. . . . .the Force was there, neatly combed and unblemished and untouched by his own disturbance. He wanted to move away before he made a stain on it.

It was the wap. It was a grimy film on him. Inside him. But strangely it also deadened his embarrassment about being such a huge, disturbing blot on the Force. Qui-Gon supposed that this was an equitable trade, but it still made him unhappy.

"Master!"

Qui-Gon's eyes snapped open again. Obi-Wan's head had joined Ki-Adi Mundi's, blocking out the lights and wavy ceiling tiles above. Boots, movement and coughing sounded around them. Other bodies had come into the room. Togi's 'Hey, man!' called out among gruff military voices.

Ki-Adi Mundi looked back at something and then his concerned eyes returned to Qui-Gon. The movement allowed a flare of overhead light to blot out Cerean's conical, almost muscular head, so that it looked nearly as small at Obi-Wan's, who now reached down. Qui-Gon quickly shut his eyes tightly again against the invasive light.

Qui-Gon heard a high, gentle breeze, the clean touch of the Force again, through his Padawan. Obi-Wan's hand and fingers were small, no longer a youngling's but not yet fully grown either. He was a bright spark in the Force, full of energy, but unaware of the danger in the room. The purple haze lurked on either side of them.

"We must leave," he said. "The atmosphere here is not healthy." He opened his eyes just enough to see.

More noise and voices again distracted Master Mundi, seemingly confirming this. He reached down for Qui-Gon with purpose, one arm going under Qui-Gon's shoulder and pulling upward. Obi-Wan followed Mundi's lead, but he had to use his whole body to help lever Qui-Gon up to his feet.

Qui-Gon caught a glimpse of burly, gray-uniformed Humanoids pushing Togi, arms bound, before everything faded into a pulsing mauve, pale purple and iridescent white. . . . . . .

**- - End Part 4**


	5. Chapter 5

**QUI-GON JINN'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE**

by ardavenport

**- - Part 5**

The fabric of his clothes pulled on him, cutting under his arms uncomfortably. Qui-Gon tried to shift position to loosen them. But he couldn't. Eyes opening a crack, Qui-Gon saw gray walls moving by, a broad gray-uniformed back, arms carrying his legs and daylight streaming through an approaching door. Obi-Wan walked on his right; he face forward, toward the growing light.

Two strong arms supported Qui-Gon under his arms where Ki-Adi Mundi carried him.

They came out into a brightly lit courtyard strewn with rubble and the aftermath of battle, charred, broken buildings, droid wreckage and bodies. There were people yelling, gray Republic uniforms and dark green Yumis uniforms running about. And prisoners.

"Hey man, I forgot my pipe. Did any of you pick it up?" Togi asked, somewhere amidst the hubub of security and machines.

Qui-Gon tensed, inhaling deeply the smell of burning plastoids, rock and . . . . .

. . . . . cool fresh air.

The anesthetizing comfort from Togi's recreational drug suddenly ran out of him, like water down a drain. Obi-Wan's head snapped back to him, blue-gray eyes wide.

Lurching to his left, his body spasming, Qui-Gon emptied his stomach. A wet splattering sound followed. Qui-Gon's booted feet hit the ground hard as they were dropped. Mundi swiftly lowered him to the ground. His fellow Jedi Master held him, arms wrapped around his broad chest.

"Control, Master Qui-Gon. Control," Mundi's high, gentle voice told him, close to his ear.

Panting, Qui-Gon let his head drop. In the wake of the drug haze remained the Force. Alive and reinforced by Mundi's presence. And within reach.

Spasming again, Qui-Gon deliberately purged what was left inside him, the partially digested remains of some meal, eaten earlier in the day before he went down to the planet in a single stealthy capsule to enter the warlord's stronghold and sabotage its defenses. His mouth and sinuses burned with stomach acids and undigested bits.

A clear water bladder appeared before him, and he accepted it, sucking from the ready tube. He washed his mouth and spitting it out repeatedly, and even forcing it all the way up his sinuses and out in a spray from his nose. Then he drank, replacing some of what had been rejected with new fluid. He then lifted it high and squeezed, squirting a stream of water on his head and down his face. The drying moisture cooled and revived him further. He could now feel Ki-Adi Mundi breathing with him. Strength flowed into his body from his fellow Jedi, a nourishment far deeper and more intense than what he had just lost. And with it came the reassuring sense from Mundi that they had all fallen low and needed help to stand again. Qui-Gon sighed gratefully.

Pulling his feet to him, Qui-Gon put them under him. As he stood, he felt as if the Force lifted him as much as he pushed himself up. Mundi released his hold, but remained close. Looking down on his right, he saw his Padawan silently waiting for him, hands held before him. In Obi-Wan's hands was Qui-Gon's lightsaber.

Next to Obi-Wan stood a gray and black medical droid with glowing red eye sensors and spindly arms hanging off of broad, knobby shoulders. Behind the droid, a open medical capsule floated above a clear patch of the walkway.

Mundi stepped away, his hand still touching Qui-Gon's arm.

"If you are well enough now, Master Qui-Gon, I believe that you should return to the ship. I will see to the clean-up here," Mundi suggested, gently, but firmly. It was not quite an order from a Council member. But Qui-Gon chose to look at it that way. He nodded.

"Oh, hey! Window Dude!" Togi's voice drew their attention.

The warlord's former techno-wizard came to them, arms still bound behind him, two gray uniformed Yumis soldiers firmly clasped the arms of the skinnier and taller man. The Yumis were typical Humanoids but with pale pink skin and pale hair, streaked tan and yellow.

"You didn't pick up my wap pipe, did you?" Togi asked.

Since he had been carried out of the compound's control center, Qui-Gon could not imagine why Togi would think he had it. But with everything else in ruins, he supposed that Togi did not have anything more important to worry about. He shook his head, no.

"Oh, that's really bad," Togi moaned.

Ki-Adi Mundi's expression had soured as he looked at Togi disdainfully.

"This is Togi," Qui-Gon introduced. "He is the control center attendant for this compound."

"Hmmm," Mundi sharp gaze took in Togi's disheveled appearance, his rumpled gray clothes. His befuddled stare. Qui-Gon noted Togi's nearly black, dilated eyes. He blinked in the harsh daylight and wondered what his own eyes looked like. Obi-Wan still looked up at him with concern, still holding his lightsaber.

"Kakard might have done better with a droid," Mundi noted.

"Oh, no way, man!" Togi shook his head vigorously, his long brown hair waving back and forth. "[i]Nobody[/i] could node a grid better than me. I had this whole placed locked down. Power systems, com links, computer networks. Kakard couldn't open a door without me!"

"Indeed he could not," Mundi agreed. "All of his interceptors were unable to leave their bays because of the power outages."

"Oooh." Either Togi finally understood his warlord's defeat, or intoxication finally overwhelmed even his formidable tolerance. His knees buckled, but his escorts easily held him up, though they both looked disgusted. Mundi nodded toward the medical droid.

"Please see to him," he said to the machine. A Yumis in gray and blue armor trimmed with commander's markings came running up to the Jedi Council member while the two guards dumped Togi into the medical capsule. Qui-Gon sighed and turned away.

He whirled back.

"Master Mundi," he interrupted the Yumis commander's report of captured prisoners. Mundi looked at Qui-Gon with surprise.

"Togi cannot be trusted with a droid. Or a computer, or any other technology," Qui-Gon warned. "While he underestimates his own addiction, we should not underestimate his capabilities with any such devices."

Qui-Gon read Mundi's doubts in his expression and in the Force. The Cerean lowered his white, bushy brows toward the medical capsule, Togi's legs sticking out of it, the droid extending a probe over them.

"I seriously doubt that he is capable of mischief now. In his present condition," Mundi finished with a little disdain.

Qui-Gon shook his head.

"I was unable to influence his mind earlier and was only able to sabotage the power systems through the weakness of his addiction. But he does have surprising strength of focus with computers."

The Cerean's heavy brows rose with surprise. And doubt. Qui-Gon knew that he, himself, appeared to be making excusing for his own condition.

"Togi should only be treated by a sentient, if possible. He should at least be continuously guarded by a sentient. He cannot be trusted alone with any technology," he said intently.

Mundi's expression became more serious, his eyes going back to the medical capsule where the droid was trying to reach past Togi's flailing feet to reach its patient.

"I shall see what can be done," Mundi nodded. Then he turned to Obi-Wan. "Padawan, please escort your Master back to a landing shuttle and return with him to the ship's med-center. Thank you for your service, Master Qui-Gon." Mundi inclined his tall head in dismissal and turned back to the Yumis commander.

Rejected, Qui-Gon turned away as well. He had given his warning and could do no more. Behind him, Togi told the medical droid that it's servos sounded rough.

Looking about, Qui-Gon did not see where the landing shuttle might be. Probably beyond the compound's high walls. But Obi-Wan remained standing where he was, still looking toward Mundi. Two Republic commandos in sooty body armor joined him and their Yumis ally.

"Obi-Wan." The young man's attention returned to his Master. "We are leaving."

Obi-Wan nodded and held up the lightsaber hilt he carried. Qui-Gon took it. His hand, now less sore and cramped, easily curved around the hilt. He clipped it to his belt.

"Thank-you."

They walked together for a moment toward an outer building, its heavy doors blown off and lying on patches of scrubby bushes.

"The landing craft are out past the walls."

Qui-Gon nodded, accepting the information. All around them, Kakard's compound was being reorganized to the needs of the victors. Doors and windows were opened, or missing. Technicians set up silvery temporary pens for people and droids. Weapons were piled into black tangles to be destroyed.

"The attack forces met poor resistance. Most of the defenses were down and they had no coms. You were very successful."

Qui-Gon nodded silently again. He wanted to respond, but he could not think of anything. His thoughts now seemed to drag. He stumbled on loose rubble on the ground as they entered the gaping doorway of an outer building. Obi-Wan grabbed his arm to steady him.

"Are you well, Master?"

For a second, a wave of pale purple color washed over the ground around them.

Qui-Gon shook his head. "No," he responded. "But I am still capable."

Obi-Wan took his hand away, but Qui-Gon put his own arm around his Padawan's shoulders. The crisp reality of Obi-Wan at his side easily held back the purple haze and euphoria at the edge of his vision. New strength flowed into his sluggish legs.

"I trust you learned well from Master Mundi?" he asked, feeling a renewed concern for his apprentice.

"Yes, very much." Obi-Wan looked pleased and Qui-Gon was glad. "The Yumis were very difficult to deal with and their generals did not like waiting to attack, but Master Mundi convinced them that we needed more ships and preparation and that the battle would be short if we allowed you time to weaken Kakard's defenses."

A column of security personnel jogged past them halfway through the building, their boots echoing loudly in the large open space.

Tromp-thump.

Tromp-thump.

Tromp-thump.

Qui-Gon felt the air vibrating with the sound, rhythmically brightening and dimming with color. He slowed his breathing, matching it to a different, slower rhythm, Obi-Wan's breathing. He fell into step with the younger man. The lines and surfaces around them solidified into neutral grays.

A huge opening ahead of them, big enough for a large transport, led outside the compound. Multiple landing craft crowded together on the rise of dry barren ground. The rocky, defensive cliffs of the compound's protective valley rose beyond them.

"Master Mundi is a far better leader of others than I. And you have much more potential than I there as well," Qui-Gon said.

"You are wise," Obi-Wan told him. Qui-Gon grinned and squeezed his Padawan's shoulder.

"Wise enough to know to seek more capable teachers for some of my Padawan's talents." He sighed. They exited the building and he looked up at the ships. "Hopefully, you will not have much need to lead battles, my young apprentice."

Obi-Wan nodded, but Qui-Gon sensed the excitement in the young man. Obi-Wan was not eager to fight others, but he loved applying himself to a task, being active and using his skills.

They walked among the ships and found one that was preparing to return to the command ship. The helmeted pilot waved them on. They took their seats and fastened the safety straps, two people among the rows of empty seats that had ferried the ground troops to the battle.

The engines powered up and soon they were rising up in the air, slowly at first to clear the valley and then quickly up in the atmosphere. Qui-Gon closed his eyes. The floating, drifting gravity of the ship reminded him too much of his idle time, lying in a purple haze on Togi's floor.

He could still smell the wag. It was in his clothes and his hair and he felt a film of its residue on his skin. He would decontaminate himself in the ship's medical bay. . . . .

**- - End Part 5**


	6. Chapter 6

**QUI-GON JINN'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE**

by ardavenport

**- - Part 6**

"Master?" Obi-Wan's voice said, close to his ear.

Something tugged on his tunic.

Qui-Gon lifted his head. He saw that the interior lights of the ship were dark, the only light coming in through the forward ports from the command ship's docking bay outside.

Qui-Gon fumbled with the restraint straps, but Obi-Wan unbuckled them. Nodding his thanks, he pushed himself out of his seat. He still felt as if the ship was in motion, but he inhaled the Force deeply into himself and he became steadier. Obi-Wan followed him closely as they left the ship and passed the pilot, amiably chatting with the deck crew.

Neither of them knew exactly where the ship's medical bay was, but most republic cruisers had a standard layout. That knowledge and a little intuition from the Force led them to the right level and section.

Another medical droid, nearly identical to the one on the planet, introduced itself as EsEs-8-6 and told them that Qui-Gon was expected. They entered a smaller medical bay of shiny equipment with many spindly, long-armed attachments, blinking lights, scanners and a minimal examination table. Ship-board medical bays tended to emphasize the practical realities of being injured that encouraged patients to recover as quickly as possible.

Qui-Gon asked for a change of clothes, a wash and to visit the fresher first. The droid offered him a folded white, sterile syth-cloth suitable for all species and politely requested that he leave samples in the indicated depositories. Qui-Gon obliged and when he was finished with the medical requests, he stepped into the ablution stall and used enough water and body cleanser to deaden his sense of smell again.

Reeking of herbal, germ-killing fruit, he turned around under the blowers to dry himself. He bent down to the nozzles, the damp strands of his hair flying about his head, drying. When he stepped out of the stall, he tugged the medical drape over himself and left the fresher.

The droid waited by its equipment. Obi-Wan walked with Qui-Gon to it. After sliding onto the thinly cushioned medical table, he lay down and the droid raised the table up to its torso level, attached sensors to him and began scanning.

"You are seriously dehydrated," the droid said in its programmed calm feminine voice. It elevated the front end of the medical table, so Qui-Gon was sitting up and then applied a fluid replacement pack to his arm. The needle of it automatically found the right spot before going in.

"And from my analysis, you have been exposed to an intoxicant with serious addictive properties," EsEs-8-6 noted.

"I am already aware of that." Qui-Gon stared up at the ceiling; there was no pattern on it and he felt relieved.

The droid's red eye sensors blinked, off-on, and it continued. "You will require medication for several days to reverse any lasting effects."

Qui-Gon had been hoping to avoid this since he had not directly inhaled anything from Togi's pipe. But in a wide galaxy full of recreational substances, the producers of most spices added extra potency to their products to ensure good business with quick dependence in its users.

"Have you experienced nausea, dizziness, blackouts, convulsions, trembling, hallucinations, lethargy, burning sensations, sore extremities, headache, hot or cold flashes, twitching, painful urination, itching, sore throat, loss of vision, hearing or memory loss, excessive sweating, abdominal pain, chest pain or ear ache?"

Qui-Gon sifted through the list of possible symptoms.

"Yes to dizziness, lethargy and hallucinations, blackouts and convulsions only after I was exposed to the spice."

The droid clicked and tilted its head, processing the information. Behind it, Qui-Gon saw Obi-Wan stick a finger in his ear.

"My Padawan was also exposed to the spice, but only for a brief time."

The droid's head swivelled all the way around to look down at Obi-Wan whose blue-gray eyes had gone wide with surprise.

"Short exposure should not cause any ill effects, but I will need a blood sample to be sure." The droid extended a small cylindrical device with a short, protruding needle. Obi-Wan scowled back at his Master as the droid extracted a small red sample. Then the droid left them to do its analysis and prepare its treatments.

"Were you very disappointed when you and the others found me?" Qui-Gon asked. Obi-Wan had not said much since the warlord's compound had been taken; their walk from the hangar bay to the med center had been silent. At first it seemed to be in deference to Master Ki-Adi Mundi, who led the assault. Then it was in deference to Qui-Gon's condition (including being unconscious for the most of the trip back to the ship). But now, their mission complete, Qui-Gon sensed a lingering unease.

"Disappointed?" Obi-Wan looked confused.

"In my. . . condition."

Pressing his lips together, Obi-Wan chose his words carefully, confirming the source of his discomfort.

"We were. . . . . not expecting to find what we did. You did not answer your com, so we were concerned, but we knew you were alive."

Qui-Gon could not recall hearing a com signal. But his senses and judgement had been impaired and he kept his com in a back pouch, so he supposed that he had been lying on it, when he was on the floor.

"The pilot on the landing ship was joking about it with some people on the com," Obi-Wan finished, looking embarrassed. "I don't understand why you needed to coerce the warlord's technician the way you did. But I accept that it was necessary," he concluded with more determination than faith. Qui-Gon gave him a sad smile.

"It was," he reassured. "I was quite unsuccessful with any mind influence on Togi. It was as if he had no thoughts at all to be influenced, which is perhaps true. And all the control systems were replicated in a backup site on the other side of the compound. Any damage I would have done would have been immediately rendered ineffective while the backup was still active. I needed to influence Togi to disable it to take down the shields. And when I found out about his vice it seemed to be a quick and obvious means of doing so. Though I did not imbibe any spice directly, I could not avoid the smoke. I did not become completely disabled until after I had destroyed the power controls."

Obi-Wan smiled, now reassured for real.

Qui-Gon shook his head sadly. "It is regrettable. When performing his duties, Togi was nearly as quick and focused as a Jedi. But his preferred vice will destroy his talent eventually and then he himself with be destroyed by its loss."

A door to another room in the medical bay slid open. The droid returned with a tray that it clipped to a stand next to Qui-Gon's medical table. There was a cup of water and a plate of food, a stacked round of protein and fibrous slices and chunky pastes between baked starchy slabs. And a pressed, glossy fruit mound. The standard ship fare that they had been eating for the past few days.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi only has traces of the drug in his system, not enough to produce any noticeable effects," EsEs-8-6 announced calmly, but Obi-Wan still looked a bit alarmed.

"You must consume sustenance, but first," the droid instructed and held up a small white cup with two large pink capsules in it, "you must take these before eating any meal for the next four days. And you will need to be examined daily to evaluate your progress, so your treatment can be adjusted, if necessary."

Qui-Gon wearily took the pills and downed them quickly with the water. He then picked up the food deck and cautiously took a bite. His body did not react to it until he swallowed. His stomach contracted as if it had been unexpectedly struck, but the tightening subsided quickly. The droid stayed attentive to its scanners, but did not react. Qui-Gon felt only a twinge when he swallowed the second bite.

As he chewed his third bite, Qui-Gon caught Obi-Wan eyeing his fruit mold.

"You should go to the galley and get something to eat, Obi-Wan," he instructed. Qui-Gon liked the fruit mold and did not plan on sharing. "I am well cared for here."

"Do you need anything else?" Obi-Wan asked, looking embarrassed to be caught coveting his Master's meal.

"No," Qui-Gon replied, shaking his head. "But after you have eaten I want you to go to the ship's command center and observe the operations on the planet. I would like to hear how things have concluded on the planet after Master Mundi returns."

"I will," Obi-Wan answered, bowing his head. Qui-Gon watched him leave and then returned to his meal. He sampled the fruit mold. It was very good.

**- - End Part 6**


	7. Chapter 7

**QUI-GON JINN'S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE**

by ardavenport

**- - Part 7**

Flashes of movement, weapons fire, battle, faded in and out of Qui-Gon's meditation. Ships dove, firing, blaster bolts plowing into the ground, exploding into buildings. Alarms blared. Lights went out. But everything did not go black.

A purple haze remained. It infused his vision and blotted everything out to either side of Qui-Gon. It had rolled in as soon as Qui-Gon cleared his mind for meditation and would not go away.

~~I got the key code, man!~~ Togi proudly announced.

Nimble fingers danced over controls, toggling switches, adjusting dials. Qui-Gon saw them from an extreme angle from below, as if he were very small. Something large moved.

~~Hahaha-ha-ha!~~ Unfamiliar voices laughed and grunted. Angry. Predatory.

~~Weapons!~~

Black, long angular shapes flew through the air, landed in waiting hands, clicked and snapped into place.

~~Whoa, man. I don't know anything about these things.~~

~~You shoot out of THAT end, Togi! Just point it away from you. AND us!~~

Heavy black shapes moved slowly through dark places. Booted feet scraped over cracked and rubble strewn ground.

Shock. A warning in the Force.

~~The droid!~~ Master Mundi's voice shouted.

Qui-Gon's hands twitched, his reflexes following the familiar motions and impulses of the Force, through the lightsaber, deflecting energy bolts with ease, batting them back to the attackers. Someone screamed when they were hit from the ricochets. Swing, reverse, swing to the other side, dive, reverse.

A few attackers retreated. One of them cried out. The danger pulling him back, Ki-Adi Mundi whirled to see a Yumis armored platform lowering the broad muzzles of two blaster cannons.

Ki-Adi Mundi dove into a trench, the improvised cover protecting him from the hail of energy fire that swept over the attackers, some of them lifted of the ground from multiple impacts, bodies and limbs instantly incinerated by the deadly energy bolts.

~~Whoa. . . . . ~~

The purple haze darkened into coagulated blood. Then black. Then it vanished, rapidly sucked into the ground. It disappeared. Leaving behind the uneven neutral gray of mediation.

Qui-Gon's eyes opened.

He sat alone in the medical bay. EsEs-8-6 had gone to the larger medical bay to treat casualties from the battle on the planet. The lights had been lowered to half power. Qui-Gon pointed at the controls by the door and the overhead lighting came up to full. His boots, belt and lightsaber lay on a side table. Extending his hand, he caught the belt, called to him with the Force. He took his com out of the rear pouch.

"Obi-Wan."

"Yes, Master?" he answered after a short pause.

"How is the mission proceeding on the planet?"

"Uh, there has been an incident. . . . . . some of the prisoners have escaped and are. . . . . ."

Already knowing what had happened, Qui-Gon patiently waited for Obi-Wan to receive the information. He heard other voices through the com and a cheer from someone.

"Several prisoners attacked Master Mundi. He was not hurt, but all the prisoners were killed when the Yumis counter-attacked. Kakard and his lieutenants were all killed."

"And Togi," Qui-Gon finished sadly.

"Togi?" Obi-Wan sounded confused. There was more noise. "Uh. . . . . yes. He was killed as well." Again, there was a pause and more voice sounds. "Master Mundi wishes to speak with you."

"Of course."

"Master Qui-Gon."

"I am here," he answered, his voice the only significant sound in the empty medical bay.

"I trust you are aware of what has happened," Mundi stated.

"Yes."

"I must apologize for not heeding your warning. I was also unable to influence the person we found you with - - "

"Togi," Qui-Gon corrected.

"Yes, of course. Togi. I attributed my failure to influence him to his condition, which I erroneously believed rendered him harmless. But he used the medical droid to free himself and then sliced into our security coms to free the other prisoners. They had armed themselves and launched an ambush before we realized it. The attack was contained, but at considerable and unnecessary loss of life. Due to my carelessness. I have presented a poor example to your Padawan."

Qui-Gon smiled to himself.

"If you could convince my Padawan to listen to me more often, I would be most grateful."

There was silence from the comlink before the reply came.

"You do not always make it easy for those around you to listen to you, Master Qui-Gon. But it was my failure to listen here. And I certainly hope that your Padawan will learn from my error."

There was the slightest pause in Mundi's answer and Qui-Gon knew that Obi-Wan was still on the com channel, "Though I should note, that Obi-Wan is very mindful of you. Perhaps to a fault. You should take better note of that."

Qui-Gon stared forward, comlink still held up to his lips. Amidst his awareness of the ship in orbit around him, the crew and passengers, was one resonant presence that he knew was Obi-Wan.

"I shall. Thank-you for reminding me, Master Mundi," Qui-Gon replied.

"I shall be communicating with the Council upon my return to the ship. After I finish here. If you are well enough, I would appreciate your presence for the report."

"I am. I shall be ready."

"Thank-you. Mundi out."

"Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon called.

"Yes, Master," he answered immediately.

"Please inform me when Master Mundi leaves the planet. I shall remain here in the medical bay until then."

"Yes, Master."

"And I think you should be present as well, for our communication with Jedi Council."

"Master Mundi did not request my presence."

"Master Mundi is quite impressed with you, Obi-Wan. I am sure he and the Council will be pleased to hear your perspective. And my recollections of events. . . . are not entirely clear. I would appreciate your assistance."

"I would be honored to help."

"The Force is with you, Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon out."

He put the com back into his pouch and then climbed down from the medical table. A service droid had taken his clothes away to be decontaminated (Qui-Gon had been explicit on the level of cleaning he desired) and placed them on the side table next to his boots. Tossing the body cover aside, he dressed himself. Everything smelled slightly singed, but clean. He looked for his robe and then remembered that is was gone, forgotten on the planet. He sighed, smoothing his tunic and tabards, repositioning his lightsaber. This was hardly the first time he had lost a robe on a mission.

Looking about, Qui-Gon saw no chairs at all, not even a stool. The room was maximally efficient for a medical droid and a patient. Minimally efficient for anything else. He went back to the medical table and, not bothering with the elevation controls, pushed himself up onto it again. He sat cross-legged, his back straight and cleared his mind.

Sight and sound of his surroundings diminished while his awareness of them increased. A ship in orbit always felt very different from a planet, but only in scale. Life infused both, islands of luminescence adrift in a terrible void though which the Force flowed very thinly. But all around him, his thoughts found only the comfortable dark grays of his usual meditation. The purple haze that had plagued him earlier was gone. He looked for it, but felt nothing.

It was gone.

******* ***** END ***** *******

This story first posted on tf.n: 13-Oct-2008

**Disclaimer:** All characters and situations belong to George and Lucasfilm; I'm just playing in their sandbox.


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